


Plastic Stars

by thequietrecluse



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, Homosexuality, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-11-08
Packaged: 2018-12-30 00:30:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12096768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequietrecluse/pseuds/thequietrecluse
Summary: Jinyoung is ten when he first meets Mark.He's twelve when Mark gives him a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars and tells him he's moving away.He's fourteen when they start Skype calling each other, watching the immobile stars on their ceilings grow closer.He's sixteen when he falls in love with him.He's eighteen when they meet again.





	1. Plastic Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little warning: There's a mix of Korean and English in this story. I just wanted to experiment with Korean. Most of it's self-explanatory (Jinyoung usually says the English translation right after if there's no actual context.)
> 
> The real confusing part is that only Jinyoung's dialogue can switch languages depending on his company. 
> 
> If Jinyoung's talking to anyone but Mark, he's speaking Korean, but it's written in English. If he's speaking to Mark, then if it's written in Korean, then it's Korean. If it's English, it's English.

Jinyoung is ten when he first meets Mark.

His family has just moved to Brazil for his dad’s work, and Jinyoung is scared.

No, actually, he’s _terrified_.

He’s in a completely different country that speaks a completely different language and has a completely different culture. He’s scared he won’t fit in, regardless of the fact that he’s going to an international school, so it shouldn’t be _that_ bad. But right now, he feels like an intruder caught in someone’s house, and he wants to get out _now_ . He needs to _leave_.

Then, the week before school starts, his dad has one of his colleagues and her family over for dinner. His parents bonded very quickly with the colleague and her husband, and it quickly became commonplace for them to come in for a visit. This is the first time they’d brought their kids, though.

The two daughters are closer to his two noonas’ ages, plus they’re girls, so he loses interest in them quickly. One of the two sons is a little _too_ young, and Jinyoung can already tell that he would end up babysitting him instead of having fun. So that leaves the last son, one of the middle two children.

He’s quiet, too quiet, so Jinyoung decides not to be too extra. He doesn’t want to scare this kid who might be his new friend. He’s also really pretty, so much so that Jinyoung’s almost not sure that he’s a boy. His features aren’t that feminine, but he’s just too _pretty_. Jinyoung’s the same way, although not quite as much.

The issue, though, is that Jinyoung only speaks Korean, and the family only speaks English. He’d been poring over his English textbook in preparation for school, and he’d been learning English in Korea, but he still didn’t have a good grasp on actually _speaking_ it.

It takes several moments and a few strangled syllables before Jinyoung finally points to himself and says, “Im Jinyoung.” He says I’m like the Korean last name, and his Korean accent is obviously still very prominent, but he’s proud of himself for being calm and at least trying to speak English to the boy in front of him.

The boy simply stares at him for a long minute. Jinyoung would be offended and upset under normal situations, but somehow he realizes that the boy just needs time to process and choose the right words, so he stays silent and patient.

Finally, he points to himself, and says, almost inaudibly, “Mark.” After another long pause and a contemplative look on his face, he adds, “ _I’m_ Mark.” It’s not a contemptuous tone, and when he continues, “How do you say it in Korean?” Jinyoung feels like he’s won an award or scored the winning shot of a game or something. He instinctively knows that Mark won’t talk much, yet he’s already initiating and he’s happy about that.

He’s not entirely sure what Mark is saying word by word, but when Mark repeats, “How do you say ‘I’m Mark’ or ‘I’m Jinyoung’ in Korean?” Jinyoung gets it.

“제 이름은 진영 입니다,” Jinyoung says once, pointing to himself, and then points to Mark, saying, “You say... 제 이름은 마크 입니다.” He repeats it again, but slower, with little pauses in between each word. “You... go.”

“I go?” Mark clarifies, pointing at himself, and Jinyoung nods.

The phrase that comes out of his mouth is terribly butchered, though still somewhat comprehensible. It’s still bad enough that Jinyoung lets out a little laugh before realizing that Mark would think he was laughing at him and stopping.

“Almost,” he nods encouragingly, and then repeats the phrase, stopping at every word and gesturing for the boy to repeat it correctly before continuing.

The look of triumph on Mark’s face when he finally gets it is only subtly different from his usual face, but Jinyoung had been staring at Mark’s face intently for about fifteen minutes now, so he can tell.

What Jinyoung couldn’t tell was that the same feeling of triumph was showing on his own face.

They quickly become friends after that. The two of them are fascinated by the other’s native language, and with Jinyoung’s rudimentary English (and the textbook he grabs from his room) the two teach each other general, useful phrases, practicing until they can say them perfectly. They’re actually disappointed when they’re called down for dinner, despite the fact that both boys love food more than anything else. Already their friendship had become so important, so _integral_ to their lives.

It was like they were meant to be together.

Later that night, before the Tuans leave, Jinyoung asks his parents if he could hang out with Mark more often. He finds out that Mark is going to his school also, although he’s in the year above him (Jinyoung resolves himself to call him ‘hyung’ from then on... and figure out how to explain to him what a ‘hyung’ is) and that his family also happens to live in their neighborhood, only a few streets away. Their parents readily agree to set up times for the two of them to meet up, and have to hide chuckles when both boys’ faces light up like Christmas trees.

* * *

He's twelve when Mark gives him a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars and tells him he's moving away.

Mark and Jinyoung had spent the past two years with each other. They were almost inseparable, despite the fact that Mark was a year above him in school, and the two didn’t share any classes (besides lunch). That didn’t stop them from spending each night at one or the other’s house, doing homework together and having dinner with that person’s family before heading home, or spending every waking minute of their weekends together.

This weekend is different, however. Jinyoung can tell from the moment he wakes up to look at Mark, who’s sleeping beside him. They’d had a sleepover at Mark’s house the night before, and they’d gotten to bed late, and Mark was already a late riser in comparison to Jinyoung.

Mark’s face is soft in sleep, Jinyoung decides. Because Mark’s always asleep when Jinyoung wakes up, he spends every morning by Mark’s side watching him sleep. He looks younger, more peaceful, and his sleeping face always stirs something in Jinyoung. He doesn’t really know what, but he always feels like Mark is his everything when he watches him sleep. It’s a powerful feeling, and he revels in it.

When Mark’s eyes flutter open, the first thing he sees is his best friend grinning down at him. “잘 잤어?,” he says, his voice groggy.

“I slept well, hyung,” Jinyoung replies. It’s become their habit, to speak the other’s native language. Their friendship had formed around learning languages, and it wasn’t unusual to see them conversing with each other in the other’s native language. They were fluent in Korean and English, and the two of them had begun to study Japanese as well, wanting to learn a language neither knew. “What do you want to do today?”

He sees it then, a flickering of some strange and foreign emotion behind Mark’s eyes. “Let’s go to the park,” he suggests.

Jinyoung shrugs, pleased with the suggestion. “Okay. I’m going to brush my teeth.”

“Okay,” Mark hums, disentangling his arms from around Jinyoung’s stomach, letting the younger boy clamber out of bed, and walk out of the room. When the door closes, Mark’s face falls.

All throughout breakfast, Jinyoung picks up more hints that something’s wrong. The family keep giving each other strange looks, the same strange emotion he’d seen in Mark’s eyes prevalent in theirs. A few times, he even sees them looking at him with something like pity. Pity for what? What was going on?

Mark needs to grab something from his room, and apparently Jinyoung’s not allowed to accompany him, so he sits at the foot of the stairs and waits. As he looks around, he notices little things. When had the big Tuan family picture been taken down? Why were the bookshelves emptied? Was this why the family was so suspicious earlier? Where they moving to another neighborhood in the city?

Before he can figure anything out, Mark returns, giving him a big grin and asking, “Ready?”

He nods.

He has time to figure it out.

Mark drags him on a walk the moment he gets to the park, pulling him towards a secluded park bench. By now he’s worried; Mark likes being alone with Jinyoung, of course, but the urgency at which he was being pulled to privacy was a huge warning sign.

“Mark, what’s wrong?” Jinyoung couldn’t hold it in anymore. “What’s going on?”

Mark didn’t say anything for a long while. Used to it, Jinyoung waited for him, sitting on the bench while waiting for his best friend to collect his thoughts.

Finally, he reached into the drawstring bag he had brought with him, and pulled out a small package wrapped in a brown paper lunch bag. “Open it.”

Uncertain of where this was going, he opens the bag hesitantly, pulling out a small packet of glow-in-the-dark stars, the kind Mark had on his ceiling. They both like to stargaze, even though they have little interest in astronomy or astrology or whatever it was (they often got the two mixed up) and often spend warm nights lying on a blanket together, watching the stars. Not for long though, as neither liked the bugs that came up at night, but the stars fascinated both of them so much that Mark bought a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars and he and Jinyoung had worked together to paste them onto Mark’s bedroom ceiling, making up random patterns and constellations. And now Jinyoung had his own packet.

“But... why?” He couldn’t help but ask. “Hyung, why are you giving this to me now?”

Mark’s gaze dropped to the floor, and fixated on one spot before taking a deep breath. “Jinyoung-ah... I’m moving.”

He didn’t get it. “So? Where are you moving to? Is it in the city still?”

His best friend shakes his head, finally meeting his eyes. They have that same expression he saw earlier, in his family’s faces. “I’m moving back to the United States.”

Jinyoung’s heart drops to the pit of his stomach, with no intention of coming back up. He can’t believe it. He doesn’t _want_ to believe it. “No...” he whispers, throat suddenly closing up.

“My dad’s job got transferred back to the US,” Mark says sorrowfully, eyes flitting to meet Jinyoung’s and then darting away, and then back again. “We leave at the end of the month.”

“That’s why everything in your house is disappearing,” Jinyoung says hoarsely, tears starting to spring to his eyes. He’s not much of a crier, or so he believes, but this is a good enough reason for the waterworks. “You’re really leaving?”

Mark nods. “I just... wanted to give you something to remind you... of us.” He’s tearing up now too, but at least his eyes are steady now, staring straight into Jinyoung’s eyes, into his soul. “We’ll be tons of miles apart, but we can still be under the same stars, right? We can still watch our own constellations every night, right? With-without going outside.”

They’re both full on crying, and there’s no possible way for them to continue talking. So Jinyoung launches himself at his best friend, wrapping arms around his stomach and sobbing into his shoulder, cries of “Hyung,” and “why?” working their way out of his mouth, writing themselves on Mark’s shoulders, and sealing themselves into his skin with Jinyoung’s tears.

Mark doesn’t say anything in return, just pats Jinyoung’s shoulder and hums comforting notes into Jinyoung’s ears. His silent tears stain Jinyoung’s back, reminding him that yes, Mark is hurting as well, that he will miss him too, and that this is real, that this has to happen.

Jinyoung spends every day with Mark after that, even more so than before, physically hurting every time he has to part from his best friend, afraid he won’t see him again, although he knows full well what day Mark leaves.

What Jinyoung _doesn’t_ know is that a few months after Mark leaves, Jinyoung’s family would also get a job transfer, only this time back to Seoul, South Korea. It’s not his hometown, but it is his home country. After two years, Jinyoung finally gets his wish to go back to his homeland.

It’s just that his best friend won’t be going with him.

His wish was fulfilled two years too late.

* * *

He's fourteen when they start Skype calling each other, watching the immobile stars on their ceilings grow closer.

That’s not to say they lost contact: they’d been emailing and messaging each other every day, almost every hour. They never missed a moment in the other’s life, even though they’re on opposite sides of the planet.

It’s only when his school has a video call with an important person in another country (he doesn’t really remember who) that he realizes he should be having a video conference with an _actual_ important person in his life. So he and Mark make Skype accounts, add each other, and for the first time in two years, he and Mark see each other face-to-face.

Seeing Mark again... it was indescribable. Staring into that familiar face, Jinyoung felt like he was twelve again, staring at the stars with his best friend by his side.

Then Mark smiles, and it takes Jinyoung’s breath away because _he had missed that smile_. “안녕, 진영.” The Korean flows off his tongue like he hadn’t stopped speaking it, like it was his native language.

“Hello, Mark hyung,” Jinyoung says just as quietly. “Long time no see.”

“Yeah,” he breathes. “It’s... so good to see you.” Mark sounds like he couldn’t breathe, and Jinyoung knows that he had missed him too. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” is his response. “You?”

“Better, now that I can see you,” Mark says cheekily, a goofy expression on his face.

Jinyoung laughs. “I miss this,” he tells him bluntly, before continuing, “I miss _you_.”

His best friend (still, even after all these years) nods, giving him that special smile Jinyoung has only seen directed at him. “I miss you too. But at least we can see each other like this until we can meet again?”

He agrees. It’s just too hard to meet up now. Jinyoung has had his eyes set on becoming a trainee. For which company, he hasn’t decided yet, but right now he is working on his singing and dancing, to put together a good audition for all the entertainment companies he was applying to. Mark is less busy, certainly, but for some reason the idea of him going to the US or Mark going to Korea is a strange thought. They’re two completely different worlds that revolve around two people who have been separated and forced to grow up differently. As close as he is to Mark, he not sure if he wants to actually _see_ his best friend in real life. Over the past two years, Mark has become almost like a fantasy, a nonexistent and present part of his life that straddled the border of reality and dreaming. Having Mark come to Korea or him to the US would cross the border, and Jinyoung’s not sure what would happen then.

In the end, Mark and Jinyoung talk for four hours straight, filling each other in on their lives, like they hadn’t been writing long emails for two years straight, and getting reacquainted with each other again. It’s one thing to read his emails, Jinyoung muses, but it’s another thing to see him and hear Mark tell him stories personally. It’s better.

Quickly, weekly Skype calls become a part of their everyday lives. They often happen on Friday (Saturday for Jinyoung) evenings, and often last well until the night. Mark and Jinyoung had chosen that time frame because the soft light the stars on their ceilings emit serve as a reminder of their bond.

It’s a bond that only grows stronger and closer as the months go along, and the immobile stars on their bedroom ceilings grow closer and closer with every passing Skype call.

They become so close that a year later, Mark is the first one Jinyoung calls when he gets into JYP Entertainment, and Jinyoung is the first to know that Mark lands a well-paying summer job at a restaurant (not waiting tables, thankfully for the silent hyung). They are so close now that it’s almost like they are still physically present in each other’s lives. Of course, they’re not, and some days it’s painfully obvious to Jinyoung that Mark’s trapped behind a screen, thousands of kilometers away, and not even on the same day as him (which is still kinda trippy).

When Im Jaebum, Jinyoung’s new trainee friend, sees the messages, he asks about their relationship. “Who’s Makr?” He asks, and the Korean pronunciation of Mark’s name almost makes Jinyoung laugh aloud. He’d forgotten how Koreans would pronounce Mark’s name, as no one, save his parents and sisters who _knew_ how to say it, had ever brought him up.

“Mark hyung is my best friend,” he tells Jaebum, smiling gently in a way he hasn’t when around people who weren’t Mark. “I haven’t seen him in three years.”

Of course, Jaebum is curious, and he pries Jinyoung with many more questions, which Jinyoung is happy to answer. He hadn’t realized how good it felt to talk about Mark to someone who’d never met him. Jaebum seems genuinely interested in Mark, and doesn’t find it weird that Jinyoung still talks to him more than anyone else his age, something Jinyoung appreciates. Mark is his favorite person in the world, and he likes the idea of sharing him with the world.

Mark isn’t as keen about it, as shown when Jinyoung invites Jaebum to meet Mark. The moment Mark realizes that Jinyoung’s not alone, and he is introduced to the trainee, he clams up. He’s certainly polite to Jaebum, and integrates him into their conversation, but the tone is stilted, reserved. Mark doesn’t talk about the deep, introspective things they usually talk about; actually he doesn’t speak much at all. He doesn’t seem sulky or upset, but comes across as closed off and standoffish. Jinyoung’s confused, embarrassed and a little hurt, but Jaebum is quick to dispel his worries.

“He seems like the kind of person who doesn’t get used to strangers easily, especially as suddenly as you did,” Jaebum tells him the next day. “He wants to talk to you about stuff important to him, and he really can’t when he doesn’t know me or trust me enough to talk about it when I’m in the room. Don’t be so harsh on him.”

Put that way, Jinyoung wants to hit himself. How could he do something like that to Mark? Hadn’t he noticed Mark’s reserved and quiet nature when he’d first met him? How could he _forget_? He feels so bad that he decides to do something big. He immediately goes to the nearest convenience store, picking things he thought Mark would like. It was an odd combination of ddeokbokki, spaghetti cup ramen, mozzarella cheese, and ramen, but gut instinct tells Jinyoung that it was a good idea. Besides, he has other things to send him too. He sends that and some Korean clothes and plushies to Mark’s house in the US, along with an apologetic letter and a challenge to mix all the ingredients together. Of course, he’ll apologize on Skype tomorrow, but he wants to do something more.

Mark accepts Jinyoung’s apology readily but promises to try and connect with Jaebum, because he can see how important Jaebum is to Jinyoung. Not as much as you are, Jinyoung thinks, but he still appreciates Mark’s enthusiasm. Also, Mark managed to make a rather delicious meal out of what Jinyoung sent him, and now that’s another part of their Skype calls: four hour long sessions, glow-in-the-dark stars, and Mark’s meal.

* * *

He's sixteen when he falls in love with him.

To be fair, it had been happening gradually since he was ten, but he was sixteen when he finally realized it. They have spent two years calling each other on Skype at least once a week, even when Jinyoung had a full schedule.

Without even being there, Mark has fully integrated himself into Jinyoung’s life. He celebrated with him and Jaebum--yes, he’s friends with Jaebum now--when the two were given a debut. He consoled them when they had to go back and become trainees again. He laughed with him when Jinyoung managed to spill something on himself while eating Mark’s meal (they’d had to reduce their eating sessions to once a month, for the sake of their wallets) and then proceed to tease him about it for the rest of the Skype call.

No matter what, Mark knows what was going on in Jinyoung’s life, and Jinyoung, Mark’s. So when Mark tells Jinyoung that he has something to tell him, Jinyoung’s ready.

Except he’s not.

“진영...” Mark’s taking lots of deep breaths, mouth opening and closing as he tries to find the right words to say. Jinyoung, for the life of him, can’t figure out what was wrong. Was his niece in the hospital? Did his mom get fired? Did he get expelled? Finally, Mark closes his eyes, and says it. “나는 게이야.”

That... hadn’t been what Jinyoung was expecting. Mark had made Jinyoung promise to at least be open minded, but... homosexuality was something he was still getting used to. He hadn’t even known it was a thing until two years ago, and he’d immediately put it in the back of his mind, not expecting to have a personal effect on him. How wrong he had been.

But this is Mark he’s talking about. His _best friend_ . The guy he’d known since he was ten. They are so alike in so many ways, and they appreciate each other’s differences. This is just one of their differences. Jinyoung thinks back through five years of memories, and he finds no evidence of the homosexual ‘symptoms’ people had been telling him about; he hadn’t believed them in the first place--they were stupid sounding to begin with--but with little knowledge of homosexuality or interactions with homosexual people, he instinctively drew upon what little knowledge he _did_ know, however misguided, and now that he knows Mark’s gay, he immediately feels guilty for falling back on such stereotypes.

He is so lost in his thoughts that when he finally comes to and looks up, he realizes that Mark has been waiting for a response this entire time, and as time goes on, his thoughts have gone further and further south. He must be thinking the worst, since Jinyoung didn’t respond to him.

Jinyoung panics, and that’s enough for a barrage of words to fly out of his mouth. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to upset you I just needed to think about what you said and get some stupid ideas out of my head because homosexuality isn’t discussed in Korea but I’ve heard of it and some people were saying some really mean things and it just didn’t match up with you and so I promise I won’t think them anymore because you’re my best friend and you’re a really nice person so homosexuality _can’t_ be that bad, so I, I...” He finally slows down (surprised he managed to say homosexuality correctly, despite never learning how to say it in English) so that he can finish with, “I don’t mind. You’re still you.”

All the way across the world, Mark cries.

Despite reassuring Mark several times that night that he doesn’t mind Mark’s sexuality, Jinyoung can’t help but worry that things won’t be the same anymore, that their relationship will have changed completely, never being quite the same and becoming their downfall as one side depends too heavily on the other, even though they’re _so_ far apart.

He finds that he doesn’t have anything to worry about. His relationship with his favorite hyung is stronger than ever, actually improved by Mark’s revelation rather than harmed by it. The two of them are so comfortable in their relationship, easily talking about controversial topics for hours without ever feeling slighted or uneasy, that it is strange that neither of them are willing to bring up the topic of seeing each other in person again, even though it’s been four years. Jinyoung still has that same mindset he had two years ago, and is afraid of crossing the line. What he doesn’t realize is that he’s already crossed a line, just not the one he’s thinking of.

Jinyoung’s mom is the one who make him realize it, actually. He hasn’t spoken much about Mark since they moved back to Korea, but he mentions him ever so often.

“How’s Mark, Jinyoung-ah?” His mom asks.

“Good,” Jinyoung replies around a mouthful of food. His dad is still at work, and his sisters are out with friends, so it’s just him and his mom at dinner now.

“How is he in school?”

“He’s doing good,” Jinyoung says, a little confused now. “Omma, why are you asking?”

“I’m just curious,” his mom answers easily, unapologetic. “I just got off the phone with Mr. Tuan, and we were just talking about how close you guys were. You guys were attached to the hip the moment you met, and even now, it’s like you’re still attached. Skyping each other every weekend, talking until late at night, eating that... convenience store meal.”

“So?” Jinyoung’s not sure where she’s going, because there’s a twinkle in her eye that means she’s has a point. “Is it wrong to talk to Mark?”

“Of course not!” She denies. “All I’m saying is that you two were always really close. Sometimes we’d wonder if you were actually friends, or if you were _closer_. Your friendship certainly didn’t feel like it was just that, anyway.”

Jinyoung’s palms are sweating now, and his heart’s hammering in his chest. Does she know about Mark? He can’t even properly form a proper response, so his mouth’s gaping open, and his mom’s laughing at him.

“What? I’m just saying. You two never had a real friendship from the start. You were always clinging to him, and he to you. I saw more skinship between you two than you and Jaebum-ah.”

“Jaebum hyung isn’t the kind of person who likes skinship,” Jinyoung weakly defends.

Her eyes still has that nauseating twinkle when she smiles slyly at him and says, “That’s not the point, Jinyoung-ah.”

That night, Jinyoung can’t sleep. His mind is stuck on his mother’s words. Did he really like Mark romantically? Was their friendship ever a pure friendship? His brain is bringing up memories of their past, regardless of how much Jinyoung wants it to stop, wants to sleep peacefully and not think about it. His brain’s not letting him, as memory after memory comes back to him--

 _“_ _즐거운 성탄절 보내시고 새해 복 많이 받으세요_ _,” Mark grins at Jinyoung as he splutters. The typical holiday greeting is so terribly butchered--Mark had obviously tried to learn on his own--that he can hardly recognize it._

_“Wha-what?” Jinyoung finally gets out when he finishes laughing. “I thought you knew how to read Hangul!”_

_Mark pouts playfully. “I didn’t do it right?”_

_He shakes his head, and Mark’s pout gets deeper. Unable to handle it, he curls up into Mark’s side, inhaling his comforting scent. “No, but it was very cute.”_

_“I’m not cute,” Mark grumbles, though he still leans into Jinyoung, resting his chin on his dongsaeng’s head._

_..._

_“Mark hyung,” Jinyoung says softly, hesitantly, from his makeshift bed on the floor._

_“Mmm?” Mark hums groggily above him._

_“I... can’t sleep,” he admits weakly._

_He can almost see the sadness in his hyung’s eyes as he rolls over to look down at him. “Do you want to go home?”_

_Jinyoung shakes his head. “No, that’s not it...” He hates being so close to Mark, but not being close enough, that he doesn’t hesitate to add, “can I sleep with you? In your bed?”_

_After a moment, Mark shuffles away, and his blankets are lifted. Excited, he jumps up and slides in next to Mark, immediately snuggling up to him, basking in his hyung’s warmth. “Mmm, this is nice.”_

_Mark doesn’t say anything as the two of them drift off into dreamland._

_..._

_“What constellation is that?” Mark points to a cluster of stars._

_“Why are you asking me?” Jinyoung retorts. “I know about as much as you.”_

_Mark just pouts and holds Jinyoung closer. Jinyoung’s head is on Mark’s chest, and Mark has an arm around Jinyoung’s shoulder. “Can’t we make a name for it?”_

_“You want to name it?” Jinyoung looks up at Mark to see him looking back down on him. The distance between them is small, so small that he’s aware of it,_

_“Okay, then... let’s name it... Markjin.”_

_“Markjin?” Mark sounds confused. Only a few moments pass before he asks, “Is it a combination of our names?”_

_“If it’s stupid, just tell me,” he mumbles, burying his head in Mark’s chest._

_“No, I like it,” Mark replies. “The Markjin constellation.”_

Jinyoung starts awake, the memories still flashing through his mind. He is not quite sure what to make of everything, of the message his brain is telling him.

They had never really been just friends, had they? Jinyoung’s never been comfortable enough to do too much skinship, yet he had burrowed into Mark’s side countless times. He’d never felt the need to sleep next to his friends during sleepovers. He’d never looked at his friends the way he looked at Mark.

“How long?” Jinyoung mumbles into the silence. “Since I was ten? Twelve?” He was so oblivious, and had been for _years_.

He loves Mark.

* * *

He's eighteen when they meet again.

Jinyoung’s changed a bit since his revelation. He’s matured and become more dedicated, if that’s even possible. He works hard to perfect his singing, his dancing, and his newfound love of acting.

He also hasn’t spoken to Mark in a year.

It started when Mark had graduated. He was taking a gap year before heading to college. He had gotten so busy, preparing all these activities that Jinyoung wasn’t aware of, that he’d forgotten a Skype call. He had called the next morning and apologized, but it just didn’t feel the same.

The next week, Jinyoung is the one who forgets. He’s a trainee almost on the brink of debut, so naturally he’s starting to get heavier schedules. He also apologizes the next morning, but he can tell on Mark’s face that it’s just the beginning.

Slowly, the Skype calls became a biweekly thing, then a monthly thing, then... nonexistent.

Jaebum still asks about it, confused as to how a strong friendship like Mark and Jinyoung’s could just evaporate like it never existed, but after Jinyoung makes vague excuses and not-so-vague threats, he lets the subject go, though sometimes Jinyoung catches the elder giving him an analytical look, as if trying to figure him out. It’s weird: Jaebum’s known Jinyoung for about four years, they debuted together, there’s not much Jaebum doesn’t know.

Does he miss Mark? Of course he does. He misses him so much it _hurts._ It hurts that he’s not here, and it hurts that he hasn’t talked to him. It just hurts, but there’s nothing to be done. He spends several months doing work with the Skype screen up, just in case Mark called; in the end, Jinyoung never calls Mark, and Mark never calls Jinyoung. Eventually, he resigned himself to the fact that Mark didn’t want to talk to him anymore, or had forgotten him, and stopped checking.  He throws himself into his work because it hurts.

One day, Jinyoung hears gossip about an incoming international trainee.

“Did you hear?” Jaebum asks casually as they’re waiting for their instructor. “About the incoming trainee?”

He shrugs, uninterested. “Only that he’s an international trainee, and that he’s coming in today.”

“Apparently he already speaks Korean,” Jaebum comments, obviously intrigued. “Weird, huh?”

“Not really,” Jinyoung retorts. “Maybe his nationality isn’t Korean, but his ethnicity is.”

The hyung sighs, conceding. “I guess so. I’m just curious. I think he’s around our age. Think we’ll be put in a group with them?”

“Maybe,” Jinyoung says, still uninterested in the topic as he starts to stretch.

Clearly picking up the hint, Jaebum drops the topic, and starts to stretch as well.

By the end of the day, Jinyoung’s exhausted, he’s sweaty, and he just about to go home when there’s some commotion. The new trainee’s been spotted, and all the female trainees are gossiping and giggling over this new trainee’s looks.

Jinyoung couldn’t care less; he can barely put one foot in front of the other or lift his head up, let alone track down the mysterious new trainee. Jaebum’s always worried that he’ll overwork himself and end up in the hospital, but Jinyoung’s not stupid. He knows his limits. He just likes to test them. Everyday.

He’s on his way out when he bumps into someone. “아, 죄송합니다,” he says automatically as he bows and continues on his way, but he stops when that someone speaks.

“오랜만이다, 진영.”

His head somehow gets the strength to snap up, and he whirls around at that painfully familiar voice.

Standing right where he had bumped into the “stranger” is _Mark_.

For a long moment, Jinyoung is frozen in place, eyes locked onto Mark’s, because this can’t be real, can it? There’s no way Mark’s _here_ , in Korea.

But it’s real. Jinyoung’s eyes work properly, and he doesn’t hallucinate, so that means it’s real. Mark crossed the border (metaphorically, although also literally) and has come into Jinyoung’s world.

Finally, Jinyoung’s mouth moves. “M-Mark.”

His hyung’s mouth twitch upwards into a smile as he approaches. “I missed you, Jinyoung,” he states as he wraps his arms around his favorite dongsaeng.

“I missed you too.” Jinyoung’s holding back his tears as his arms wrap around his favorite hyung. “I missed you so much.”

Turns out, when Mark got into JYP, he contacted Jinyoung’s parents and requested to stay with them instead of the dorm. The request was granted by JYP, and so Mark had set up his stuff at Jinyoung’s house before heading to the company. When the two of them came home, they found Jinyoung’s parents and sisters there, with a large meal and a “Welcome to Korea” banner. Mark had been touched, and they spent hours that Jinyoung would have otherwise been spending on improving his skills laughing, talking, and reminiscing.

That night, Jinyoung and Mark are in their now shared bedroom. Mark’s left most of his stuff in a small corner of the room, only putting his clothes in the spare drawer Jinyoung’s mom brought in. “You can put your stuff wherever,” Jinyoung says. “Just--”

“Put it somewhere neatly, and keep everything organized,” Mark finishes, meeting Jinyoung’s eyes. “I know.”

Sometimes he forgets that Mark knew everything about him. With the exception of the past year. Had it been his fault that they drifted apart? Even if it wasn’t, why hadn’t Jinyoung fought harder to keep him?

“I’m sorry,” Jinyoung says finally, his voice soft. “For not calling you.”

Mark shakes his head dismissively, his eyes as soft as Jinyoung’s voice. “It’s okay. I didn’t try and stay in touch either, so it’s both of our faults. Besides, I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“Why did you audition?” The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them, and he winces as they sound accusing and harsh. “I-I mean, I didn’t know you were into KPop.”

“When you got in, I started listening,” Mark shrugs, turning to his suitcase to set up his stuff. “It’s really cool. I mean, the singers over in the US are awesome too, but they don’t sing and dance at the same time like KPop stars. I wanted to try, so I spent a year working on it before I auditioned.”

“Really? I thought you were taking a gap year,” Jinyoung asks. Things aren’t adding up in his head. Had Mark lied to him?

“I was,” he replies, still unpacking. “I dropped out before I came over here. College was just my plan B, in case I didn’t make it.”

“Oh,” is all Jinyoung can say. Mark had been planning to do this for a year. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Now Mark stops, turns to face Jinyoung again, and says, “In case I got your hopes up... or you didn’t want me to. I know it feels weird, seeing me in Korea. It would feel weird if you were in the US too. I just... I didn’t feel comfortable so far from you anymore. It hurt to not talk to you, but I wanted to work hard to just _be_ with you.”

Jinyoung snaps, everything he’s been holding back this entire time flooding him like a hurricane. He is so used to holding anything remotely scary back in order to keep him safe, but he doesn’t care anymore. Mark crossed the border several times, because it mattered. Now it was Jinyoung’s turn.

“I love you.” For the first time in what seems to be forever, Jinyoung feels like a child again, unafraid to show his affection for his hyung and unafraid of judgement. He feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders, and even if Mark were to reject him now, he won’t regret it, because this feeling of freedom and honesty is the only thing he would ever be addicted to.

Mark looks startled, taken back by Jinyoung’s confession. It is a long minute before he responds, and Jinyoung instinctively knows that Mark just needs time to process. Finally, though, Mark responds. “사랑해.”

Later that night, when they go to bed, Mark wraps an arm around Jinyoung, pulling him closer than ever, and kisses him, a soft, warm kiss that reminds Jinyoung of his childhood under the stars, of his teenage years in front of a monitor, and right now, of his new path alongside his best friend, his hyung, his love.

Under the witness of the plastic, glow-in-the-dark stars that symbolized their relationship, they finally come together.


	2. Real Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark’s twenty when he debuts with Jinyoung.  
> He’s twenty-two when he and Jinyoung come out as a couple.  
> He’s twenty-four when he gets engaged.  
> He’s twenty-six when they get married.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... I thought it would be shorter than the actual story, but it's longer... Anyway, I hope you like it!

Mark’s twenty when he debuts with Jinyoung.

That was the one flaw in Mark’s brilliant plan to join Jinyoung’s company as a trainee, that they would debut in two separate groups and never see each other. It made him rather clingy to his boyfriend whenever they had practices and lessons together, which became a common occurrence to all the trainees there, who often made jokes about how they were trying to do fanservice without even really having fans to begin with.

So when the new boy group to debut is announced, and the higher ups are naming its members, his heart clenches when he hears Jinyoung’s name being called first.

Beside him, Jinyoung squeezes Mark’s hand in reassurance. No one knows they’re dating, because the tolerance for the LGBT community is still low, but also because neither of them are comfortable enough with any of the trainees right now to reveal their relationship to them. Jaebum knows, obviously, due to his close friendship with the two, but other than their parents, no one else knows. Mark is just thankful that he can do a lot of skinship with Jinyoung, and not have people bat an eyelash at it.

The next name, which breaks the currently-a-redhead out of his thoughts, is Im Jaebum, and although Mark is still terrified of his nightmare coming true, he’s at least a little relieved that his boyfriend and Jaebum can still have each other, given their close bond that rivaled his own with Jinyoung.

The next name is Jackson Wang, the Hong Kong trainee Mark had bonded with rather quickly, given that they both spoke Mandarin. Their long conversations that few trainees could understand had made Jinyoung rather jealous and decide to learn Mandarin, something Mark barely convinced Jinyoung not to do (simply because it came from jealousy). This time, Mark is the one jealous that Jackson and Jinyoung will be able to spend time together.

Before he can implode in a mix of anger, jealousy and fear, Mark’s name is called, and he all but collapses against Jinyoung in pure relief. The trainees around them chuckle as Jinyoung gives him an innocent kiss on the cheek to calm him down.

He barely listens to the rest of the lineup. Kunpimook Bhuwakul he knows because who didn't know the entirely too cute kid from Thailand? Kim Yugyeom he knows vaguely, simply because the kid’s just too _tall_. He’s like a giant in a field of ants, so it’s hard to miss him. Choi Youngjae’s he’s heard of (his singing is apparently very powerful), but he’s hasn’t been a trainee for long, so he hasn’t gotten around to talking to him.

Jaebum is made the leader, which suits him perfectly, despite Mark being the oldest (he acts so much like a little kid, JYP would have to be an idiot to make him leader). They’re due to debut in January, which gives them around three months to prepare their concept and record their first songs.

Later that night, the newly formed group head out for dinner for the first time, in an attempt to get to know each other.

Their conversation only consists of debating what to order and learning everyone’s taste preferences up until the food actually arrives. So, when the meat’s on the grill and everyone’s just waiting for it to cook, there _is_ no conversation. Just silence, as no one knows how to proceed. The only people who were really close were Mark, Jinyoung and Jaebum, and then Kunpimook and Yugyeom. To Mark, Jackson was like a classmate he talked to, but didn’t really hang out with all that much.

Then Jackson breaks it. “So... does anyone like skinship? Because you’re gonna have to get used to it with me. I like to attack. A lot.”

Everyone chuckles a little bit before answering. Mark knows Jackson is clingier than he is with Jinyoung (another reason Jinyoung wanted to learn Mandarin) but he never minded the surprise back hugs, so the Hong Kong native knows it’s okay to attack him. He knows Jinyoung likes skinship as much as he does, but it’s the fact that it’s _Jackson_ that will make him hesitate, maybe even deny it. Mark, though, is hoping that seeing Jackson do skinship with others will make his boyfriend less jealous. Jaebum, however, Mark knows will most likely say no. He’s simply not too comfortable with skinship, though he does make small allowances for him and Jinyoung, because they’re close. He’s not sure about the rest, though.

Youngjae reveals that he can be pretty clingy too, as does Kunpimook, who asks them to call him by his nickname, BamBam. Mark can’t help but compare the Thai boy in front of him to the Flintstones character, but even he agrees that the nickname just seems to suit him. Yugyeom isn’t as open to skinship, but he really doesn’t mind it. As predicted, Jaebum outright denies Jackson of skinship, but the boy seems to think otherwise, because there’s a glint in his eyes that Mark knows means nothing but mischief. He already knows Jaebum’s gonna have his hands full with Jackson. Literally.

Jinyoung opens his mouth to answer, seeming a little hesitant, but Jackson quickly stops him in his tracks. “I know you’re okay with it. You do a lot of skinship with Mark, and Mark likes to cling to you, so you don’t have to say anything!”

“But it’s Mark...” Jinyoung mutters.

“Oh? What makes Mark so different from the rest of us?” Jackson demands, not harshly (He’s pouting like a kid, so any mean factor is instantly diminished).

The two of them freeze. Mark doesn’t know exactly how to answer. In the future, he wants to be comfortable enough with his new band members to be able to tell them of their relationship, but it’s too early, and he worries that Jinyoung gave themselves away already.

Luckily, Jaebum, already the leader, steps in. “They grew up together,” he says. “They’ve known each other since they were ten.”

“Wah, really?” Youngjae asks, eyes wide, leaning in, not seeming to notice the tantalizing smell of perfectly cooked meat. Beside him, Yugyeom and BamBam also seem interested, turning to face Mark and Jinyoung with expectant expressions on their faces.

Jackson’s face went wide, from his eyes to his mouth, and he all but screamed, “REALLY? But Mark’s from the US, and you’re from here! Besides, you didn’t say you knew Mark when he first became a trainee.”

“No one knew because no one asked,” Jinyoung shrugs. “My dad’s job got transferred to Brazil at the same time Mark’s mom’s job got transferred. We met in Brazil before I had even started school.”

“Really?” BamBam asks. Mark’s not sure why they’re so fascinated by their relationship, but he nods anyway.

Jackson’s eyes light up, and he snaps his fingers. “That’s why you were fluent in Korean when you got here! I always wondered why, because you’re Taiwanese American, but it was because Jinyoung taught you!”

Jinyoung nods. “It’s how we first became friends,” he explains. “I barely knew any English, he didn’t know Korean, and neither of us knew Portuguese, so we began teaching each other.”

Soon, the conversation becomes storytelling time, as Mark and Jinyoung tell the group story after story about their childhood, the two years they spent together, and the six years spent on Skype. They don’t mention Mark’s coming out, but instead talk about how Jaebum befriended Mark, and how Jinyoung hadn’t known Mark was auditioning for JYPE. Storytelling shifts to eating, as Jaebum reminds them of the still cooking food, and the seven boys descend on the food with a ravenous hunger, finishing it quickly in between teasing comments. Already, the new group are becoming close, filled with hope and dedication and camaraderie.

On their way back, Mark and Jinyoung hold hands, making sure they’re in the very back to allow for some privacy. Jaebum is in front of them, offering some more privacy, as well as allow the new leader to keep an eye on the troublemakers.

Mark’s surprised by how easily they all came together. Surely it can’t always be that easy, but the way they just _fit_ , even though they have some very different personalities, there’s a level of respect for each other and a subconscious understanding of each other that comforts Mark. They’ll be okay. Maybe they’ll have arguments and disagreements--they’re inevitable--but he knows they won’t ever separate on truly bad terms.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Jinyoung says softly, breaking Mark out of his thoughts.

“I just... this is...” Mark can’t seem to put his thoughts into words, but Jinyoung doesn’t mind, simply waiting while giving Mark a reassuring smile. He’d always been like that, even when they first met. It was one of the reasons Mark fell in love with him.

“We all seem to be getting along really well,” Jinyoung says finally, giving his boyfriend a knowing look.

And _there_ was another reason. Jinyoung always knew exactly what Mark was thinking, and when Mark just didn’t know how to say it, Jinyoung could guess his thoughts with scary accuracy.

“I don’t think it will be long before we tell them,” Mark smiles as he speaks, a soft smile full of happiness, contentment, and hope.

His expression matching his boyfriend’s, Jinyoung reaches up to give Mark a soft kiss, pulling away before anyone could look back and catch them.

Under the stars of the night, new bonds are forming, ones that will last a lifetime.

* * *

He’s twenty-two when he and Jinyoung come out as a couple.

Of course, the rest of GOT7 know already. Jinyoung and Mark haven’t really been too discreet. Their skinship was beyond that of the rest of them, save Jackson (no one could beat Jackson) and they were always found tucked away in some corner, looking suspiciously disheveled. They had finally caught Jinyoung and Mark making out on the couch when they thought the rest of them were out six months after they debuted. They all had been supportive, and had to have another storytelling session clarifying how they began dating, and so forth. After that, Mark moved into Jinyoung’s room, and that was that.

The unfortunate side effect of GOT7 knowing was that Mark and Jinyoung often went overboard. There were a great deal of YouTube videos containing every single MarkJin moment that ever existed, and more and more people were becoming convinced that the two were actually dating. The management didn’t know what to do with the two boys. Their manager _and_ Jaebum are always nagging them to keep their hands to themselves, but sometimes they just _have to_.

Thankfully, as time goes on, people become more open to the idea of Mark and Jinyoung, and same-sex couples in general. More and more people ask Mark and Jinyoung to kiss each other on the cheeks, and even though one of them will “protest” and “try to evade it” until the other, “annoyed” by the delay, will just kiss his cheek and be done with it, these platonic kisses only convince more and more people, day after day. After all, the more vehemently you deny something, the more you like it, right?

One day, GOT7 have a meeting with the manager. Their comeback is coming up, so it isn’t that big of a surprise. They do need to determine their schedule and get any last-minute changes or news before their first performance, and the majority of the meeting was just like that.

At the end, though, their manager speaks up. “JYP-nim has also decided something.”

Mark freezes. There was some vaguely foreboding tone in his voice, and it scares him. Was this it? Did JYP-nim decide to disband them after their comeback?

Clearly sensing everyone’s fears, their manager smiles directly at Jinyoung and Mark. “JYP has decided to let you two go public with your relationship.”

Mark’s jaw drops, and beside him, Jinyoung gasps. “Wha-what?” Around the pair, everyone is making exclamations of surprise and happiness.

“JYP knows how hard it is for you two to keep your relationship quiet. More and more people think you’re dating each day, and soon everyone will know the truth and be harassing you. The management has decided to let you guys take control and reveal the truth in your own way. Besides, with all the excitement about the two of you, it might help the group more than hinder it.”

The feeling of absolute ecstasy and happiness radiating in his body was about to explode, and Mark doesn’t know what to do with it. Without thinking about it, he leaps across to hug his manager tightly, chanting “Thank you,” over and over. The moment he releases him, Jinyoung yanks on Mark’s collar to bring him into a bruising kiss, one that startles him briefly before he reciprocates it, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and pressing him so close to his body that he became unaware of where Mark ended and Jinyoung began. It was only until Youngjae, BamBam and Yugyeom’s gagging reaches his ears that he realizes that they’re in full view of the rest of their group and their manager. Once he breaks the kiss, Jinyoung seemed to realize the same thing, and the two bury each other’s faces in the other’s neck. The gagging turns to laughter and teasing, and Jinyoung pulls Mark from the room a few moments later, dragging him into their room.

A few months later, their comeback gets a lot of positive feedback from both fans and critics alike. Now, Mark and Jinyoung are unabashedly flirting with each other, winking, holding hands, and generally curling up to each other. The Markjin fans are going crazy.

They were planning on coming out at their first concert in Korea, but their first win with their comeback song happens much sooner than that. The feeling of victory overwhelms them at every win, but they had had to restrain themselves to teary hugs that ended far too early to avoid suspicion.

Today, though, Mark hugs Jinyoung tightly as GOT7 inconspicuously move out of the way so that the fans--and their cameras--can capture the next moments.

Jinyoung pulls away to tenderly wipe Mark’s tears with his fingers, an affectionate look on his face.

Mark thanks him with a kiss.

Under the dark blanket of night illuminated with stars, Mark and Jinyoung’s secret comes out into the light.

* * *

He’s twenty-four when he gets engaged.

He has been dating Jinyoung for _five_ years. It seems like such a long time and yet not long enough. He wants to spend eternity with his childhood friend, teenhood boyfriend and young adulthood lover. He wants to spend his adulthood with this singular person who had made his life so much better, made him more interested in life and made him realize there was more to life than just contentment and a lack of emotional investment in pretty much anything.

He wants to marry Jinyoung.

It will take careful planning from Mark to keep this a secret from Jinyoung. He _is_ pretty perceptive, and he will notice if Mark starts acting even a bit out of normal. Thankfully, everything falls into place quite easily.

After debuting, Jinyoung and Mark moved into a dorm with the rest of GOT7, but every other weekend or so, they head to Jinyoung’s family’s house in Seoul for dinner. Jinyoung’s noonas are sometimes there, but most times it’s just Mark, Jinyoung, and his parents.

Today, though, Jinyoung has a full schedule that will keep him out of the dorm until late that night, early the next morning. It’s then that Mark meets with Jinyoung’s parents. He wants to do it the proper way, and so he seats himself opposite of Jinyoung’s omma and appa, takes a deep breath, and asks for their permission to marry Jinyoung.

The reaction is immediate. The moment Mark’s request clicks in their minds, they’re out of their chairs and hugging him, tearily giving him their blessing and talking about how both Mark’s parents and they were waiting for this moment for _years_ , and how Jinyoung would definitely say yes.

Getting the ring was a bit more of a challenge. Mark would’ve loved to shop for a ring, letting himself be pulled to find the perfect ring and pay for it. However, since Mark and Jinyoung came out as a couple, their fans had become insanely perceptive and fanatical about the two’s relationship. If Mark was even seen in the vicinity of a jewelry store, articles and SNS messages about their potential engagement would swirl throughout the internet, and Jinyoung would be onto him in seconds, so unfortunately Mark has to order a ring online. On the bright side, Mark can custom make one, so it will be more personal.

It takes time for Mark to create the ring he wants to propose to Jinyoung with. He has to be careful, though, as Jinyoung likes to sneak attack him while he’s on his phone looking at different options. He knows that Jinyoung is starting to get a little suspicious at how intently Mark looks at his phone, and how often he hears Mark press the home button when Jinyoung approaches, so he takes a different route, trying to minimize the time he’s on his phone when Jinyoung’s around, and sacrificing the time he would have spent watching Overwatch videos or napping to work on Jinyoung’s ring. He also enlists the help of others to subtly keep Jinyoung busy while he works. He’s initially a little doubtful that Jackson can pull it off, but when Jackson successfully baits Jinyoung into realizing the puppy’s room is a little messier than usual and gets a scolding from the omma, Mark realizes that Jackson is the perfect distraction.

With the help of GOT7, Mark finishes the ring and orders two of them. Now it’s just a waiting game.

Mark is lying on his bed, scrolling through his phone (no longer looking for rings, thankfully) when Jinyoung comes, looking very upset. When Mark makes eye contact with him, he can’t help but smile widely, starting to get excited for his upcoming proposal.

Jinyoung isn’t so happy.

“Why have you been avoiding me?” He doesn’t bother with a greeting, and Mark quickly realizes the serious tone in his boyfriend’s voice.

“Wha-What?” Mark stammers, taken back.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed,” Jinyoung says shakily, approaching him. “Everyone’s been trying to distract me from you for a week. And before that, you were always on your phone, but you never let me see what you’re doing.”

Mark’s still trying to formulate words, trying to pick the right ones that will reassure his boyfriend yet hide exactly _why_ he has been hiding from him.

“Do you...” Jinyoung’s voice is wavering, and the panic building in Mark’s chest skyrockets. “Do you not want me anymore?”

Mark leaps to his feet as Jinyoung’s eyes finally begin to mist over. “No! I-I mean, I want you! Jinyoungie, I love you!” He reaches his boyfriend, and grasps his shoulders gently, rubbing comforting circles into the skin. “I’m sorry for keeping things from you, but I promise you, it’s all for you. I was planning something for you, for our anniversary, and I just didn’t want you to find out, that’s all! Just a surprise!” He leans in and softly plants kisses on Jinyoung’s hands and cheeks, lips brushing away the stray tears that fell.

He can’t imagine what Jinyoung must have been going through for him to react like this. Jinyoung wasn’t an emotional person, and he didn’t let things affect him. Mark, however, was the exception to everything people thought Jinyoung was: they were the key to the other’s self, the one who could turn the lock and make a real difference, one that lasted, good or back. Mark was the only one who had the power to make Jinyoung like this, and he had. Guilt sweeps over him like a tsunami wave.

“I’m sorry, Jinyoung-ah,” he croons, softly wiping his boyfriend’s tears away and staring deep into those watery brown eyes. “I didn’t mean to make you doubt me. I’ve been in love with you for twelve years, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I’ll _always_ want my Jinyoungie, ok?”

Tears finally subsiding, Jinyoung nods in understanding as he leans in to kiss Mark, reaffirming his trust and apologizing all at once. Mark smiles. He knows it’s not all over, Mark still has a lot to do to make it up to his boyfriend, but he doesn’t mind. Mark pulls Jinyoung over to their bed.

It’s late, after all. People _should_ be sleeping.

After that night, all Mark really has to do is arrange for some free time for GOT7 at _one_ particular tour date, which is on their anniversary. The location? Brazil, in the same city where he and Jinyoung first met, where they had grown up together. Mark thanks his lucky stars for allowing this to happen to them every time he thinks of it.

It takes a lot for Mark to hide his excitement as the days pass. Even though Jinyoung knows he’s getting a surprise for their anniversary, he still doesn’t want his boyfriend to see _how_ excited he is, in case Jinyoung tries to put the pieces together. It doesn’t help that Jackson keeps dropping hints, to Jinyoung’s confusion and Mark’s frustration (he _definitely_ regrets informing Jackson of his plans to propose) and it takes all he can to keep his face innocent and unaware when Jinyoung turns to search his face.

Finally, an agonizing two weeks and several definitely-more-exciting concerts later, they arrive in Brazil. At this point, Mark was already noticeably excited, and he couldn’t hide it. Thankfully, he manages to blame it on being back in Brazil and wanting to show GOT7 all the places he and Jinyoung went to as kids.

And they do. They arrived the afternoon before their concert, so they have an abnormally large block of free time, which the group is definitely not protesting. Mark convinces Jinyoung that the majority of the time will be spent for their “surprise,” which he approved with management (it was a struggle, but it was worth it, and they were happy for them) so when Mark suggests they break off from the rest of the group, he doesn’t protest.

“Where are we going?” Jinyoung asks, curious.

“Somewhere,” Mark replies, shooting his boyfriend a cheeky grin, to which he gets a nice smack as a reward.  
“I’m aware of that,” he says dryly. “Don’t tell me, it’s a surprise.”

“I did say I had a surprise for you,” Mark reminds him.

Jinyoung grumbles playfully under his breath, but falls silent until they reach their destination. When Mark finally stops, Jinyoung begins to look around, feeling its familiarity, but unsure of where he is. It _is_ night, after all. As soon as he realizes where he is, though, his eyes grow wide and he turns to face his boyfriend. “It’s the park we always went to, the one where you--”

“Where I told you I was moving,” Mark finishes for him as he leads him to the same park bench where, eleven years ago, a brokenhearted 13-year-old told his best friend and childhood crush that he was moving away. “Do you remember what I did the last time I was here?”

Almost immediately, Jinyoung nods. “You told me you were moving away.”

Yes, but not quite. “I did, but what else?” Mark prods, trying to lead his boyfriend in the right direction.

“You gave me a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars,” his boyfriend replies rather easily, though still confused. “Why did you ask?”

“I’m giving you more stars,” is Mark’s cryptic response, which only creates more confusion on Jinyoung’s part before he continues, “I need to tell you something.”

There’s a long pause as Jinyoung contemplates the meaning behind his boyfriend’s words before he asks hesitantly, “It’s not bad? You’re not leaving, right? Because I don’t think I can handle that right now.” It’s the exact opposite of what Mark is trying to do, but he understands where he came from. Stars are a bit of a mixed feeling for the younger, especially in regards to that moment eleven years ago, so when Mark referenced that moment, immediately Jinyoung had associated it with leaving and farewell.

He chuckles a little and shakes his head. “No, I’m not leaving. I’d never leave you.”

That seems to firm up his boyfriend’s resolve, as he straightens up and takes a deep breath. “Okay then, what do you want to tell me?”

Here it is. The big moment. Mark himself takes a few deep breaths before he gets on one knee.

Jinyoung’s reaction is priceless: his eyes widen to an impossible width, his mouth drops open, and he takes an involuntary gasp of air. “M-Mark, wh-what?”

Mark can only offer his boyfriend a sweet smile. “We’ve been dating for _five_ years, Jinyoungie-ah. I’ve been in love you almost ever since I met you. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I asked your parents for their blessings a few weeks ago, and I was making the ring on my phone for two weeks after that. That’s the real reason I was avoiding you back then. I’m still so sorry for making you believe I was going to leave you, but you have no idea how badly I wanted to do this right. So, basically... what I’m trying to tell you is... Will you marry me?”

Almost before he’s done, Jinyoung’s nodding, tears clouding his eyes. “Y-yes, of course, Mark.” He’s not screaming like most people would, or outwardly crying, but it’s the calm way Jinyoung responds that eases Mark’s heart, which had been threatening to pound its way out of his chest and into Jinyoung’s. Jinyoung’s sure of this, he knows what he wants, and he’s unafraid of getting it. It’s a long time coming, but it was so worth it.

Still, Mark can’t help but tease him. “What, you don’t want to see the ring?”

He’s immediately rewarded with a nice slap to his shoulders as his fiancé (fiancé! He can actually say it!) says, “Of course I do, but that doesn’t mean I can’t say I’ll marry you. Now show me the ring.”

“Alright, alright,” Mark grumbles playfully as he reaches into the backpack he brought with him and retrieves a brown paper bag with a box-like shape in it. He pulls out said box, opens it, and presents him with the ring inside.

It’s a simplistic design, as neither of them like flashy _anything_ , but there are small diamonds dotting part of the silver band in a scattered, random pattern. He’s almost not sure Jinyoung will understand what the diamonds represent, which was his biggest concern when designing the ring.

He should’ve had more trust in Jinyoung, as he immediately murmurs, “stars,” before peering at the inside of the band, seeing the inscribed word. _Markjin_. “Is this...?”

“It’s not an accurate depiction of our constellation, I’ve completely forgotten what it had looked like,” Mark admits sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, “but yeah, it’s supposed to represent our constellation.”

“Do you have one?” Jinyoung asks.

Nodding, he pulls out the long chain he’d been wearing recently, showcasing the ring at the very bottom of it. “I have a chain for you too, so you can have the ring on you until management says we can tell the public.” Mark awkwardly shifts, moving his almost sleeping knee into a more comfortable position. “So... can I get up now?”

Jinyoung smiles gently down at him. “Not until I kiss you,” he replies softly, leaning down to cup Mark’s cheeks and plant a passionate yet light and delicate kiss on his lips, raising him slowly to a standing position.

Mark wraps his arms around Jinyoung’s waist and deepens the kiss.

The twinkling constellation and namesake of the newly engaged couple allows them the safety and privacy of their moment as they celebrate under the night sky.

* * *

He’s twenty-six when they get married.

It’s been a busy two years. GOT7’s success just seems to grow every day, and with that comes more and more responsibilities. Jinyoung and Mark had long ago agreed to put GOT7 over themselves, and were not complaining about postponing their wedding indefinitely. They love GOT7, love the ahgases, and did not even consider putting them on hold just so they could get married first.

The rest of GOT7 didn’t exactly see it that way.

“Hyung, when is your wedding?” Jackson asks one night, a little over a year and a half after Mark and Jinyoung got engaged. They’re all eating dinner together, and Mark can feel the gazes of the rest of his group, sans Jinyoung, staring at him.

Thankfully, Jinyoung saves him from answering. “We haven’t decided yet, but maybe in a couple of years.”

“Years?” Youngjae exclaims, confused. “You’re not getting married soon?”

“Why would we?” Mark asks. “We don’t have time for it right now.”

“We all thought you’d have tied the knot by now,” Jaebum admits.

“GOT7 is more important,” Jinyoung replies.

“But...” Yugyeom trails off, genuine and innocent confusion on his face. “Don’t you guys want to get married soon? Do you really want to wait that long?”

Mark shrugs. “Sure, we want to get married, but we don’t need to right now. Maybe when we’re not so busy, we’ll get married.”

“You do realize that may be more than just two years, right?” Jaebum tells them quietly, concerned for them. “If we keep getting popular, you may not be able to until we disband.”

“Then we’ll wait,” Jinyoung replies easily. “We really don’t mind. We decided from the beginning that GOT7 and the ahgases were more important.”

Everyone looks ready to protest, until BamBam speaks up. “Okay, if you’re really sure about that,” he speaks calmly, acceptingly, and Mark feels assured by the fashionista’s support. He hadn’t expected the resistance the rest of GOT7 would put up for them postponing their wedding. “But if you’re gonna wait that long, why don’t you still plan your wedding?”

“What’s the point?” Jinyoung asks. “We can wait until later to plan.”

“Have you never heard of a Bridezilla--or in this case, a Groomzilla?” BamBam’s expression is mischievous and playful. “It might be easier to nail down exact details now so you aren’t scrambling to get it precisely right later. Besides, wedding planning is stressful enough. If you do a little bit at a time, you’ll have it all done so you can relax for your wedding.” His eyes light up, “hyungs, can we help you plan?”

“What--why?” Mark stammers, taken back. He did _not_ want BamBam planning his wedding. He’d disregard any choice they’d make for something more... _trendier_ , and who knows how their wedding will end up? “I-I mean, it’s _our_ wedding, a-and I know there are wedding planners, but don’t you think it’s a little personal for you to mess with--”

Beside him, Jinyoung’s also making protests, but BamBam silences them with a hand. “Will it make you feel better if we plan with your parents? I mean, they know you’re getting married, right?”

“Yeah, I asked Jinyoung’s parents for their blessing, and I told my parents I was planning on proposing long ago. I’m fine with you planning with my parents, but we have override power,” Mark finally decides. “And we want to know about everything, no matter how small.”

“I’ll agree with that,” Jinyoung concedes, nodding.

Excited, BamBam does a little fistpump and leaps to his feet, nearly knocking over the table. “Yes!”

As he stares in amusement, Mark notices the intensity of the mischievousness in BamBam’s eyes as he shares meaningful glances with the others. Suddenly, the rapper has no idea what he and his fiancé just signed up for.

It doesn’t become clear for months, and by then, Mark and Jinyoung have forgotten about it. At random times during their day, one of the group would come up and ask a question about wedding plans, one of them would answer, and then the member would go to the other person and confirm. If the answers were the same (which it was 95% of the time) then it would be added; otherwise, Mark and Jinyoung would discuss it, compromise, and then give an answer. It was a terrific system, and Mark was really appreciating how much was getting done while they waited, but...

“Don’t you think they’re asking too many questions already?” Jinyoung asks one night as they’re in the bathroom, getting ready for bed.

Mark has a toothbrush and what is probably too much toothpaste in his mouth, so he just hums an answer, which his fiancé thankfully understands.

“I mean, what more can they ask about? We already have the guest list, the venues for both the ceremony and the reception, the ceremony itself, the security, our vows, the menu, the cake, the seating, the decorations, the playlist, the suits, the rings, the style... is there anything we haven’t discussed?” Jinyoung’s voice is kind of hard to hear over the shower, but Mark can still pinpoint the confusion and skepticism in his tone.

He takes a moment to spit in the sink and rinse his mouth before answering, “I think we’ve got everything covered, to be honest. Anything else at this point is superficial. Why do you ask?”

“Because it all seems a bit suspicious to me,” Jinyoung says. “I trust them, of course I do, but at the same time, I can’t help but think there’s something wrong when they offered. No, not wrong, just... not... they have something up their sleeve. That’s what I mean.”

“I guess so,” Mark shrugs. “At this point, I trust them. Besides, our parents can rein them in.”

“You mean _your_ parents can rein them in,” Jinyoung corrects.

“What can I say? Everyone loves my parents, especially my dad,” he can’t really refute the accusation.

They drop the conversation at that point, all too tired to even try and contemplate the rest of their group’s motivations.

It’s not until Jinyoung and Mark are laying in bed, wrapped around each other like usual, that Jinyoung gasps slightly and sits up, staring down at his confused lover. “We never told them what date we wanted.”

“I did,” Jinyoung stares down at Mark in confusion at his answer. “I told them that I wanted to get married on our anniversary.”

“Really?”

He can’t help but joke, “Yeah, makes it easier for me to remember, instead of having too many different anniversaries to keep track of.”

“Oh really?” Jinyoung challenges, arching an eyebrow. “Is that why you also proposed to me on our anniversary?”

Not to be deterred or intimidated, Mark simply chirps, “yep,” before wrapping his arms around his fiancé and pulling him down on top of him. “That way, our day will always be magical.”

“If you wanted everything to be magical, then why didn’t you confess on the day we met when we were ten?” Jinyoung asks, always up to challenge the GOT7 members, even his fiancé and the love of his life.

“Because do _you_ remember the day we met?” Mark shoots right back.

Jinyoung contemplates for a long second (more like a few minutes) before his face falls as he, too, comes to the realization that he has no idea what day they met.

The elder giggles slightly before leaning up to kiss his fiancé, wiping the defeated look off his face.

“I’m gonna get my revenge,” Jinyoung growls playfully, and suddenly Mark’s pinned to the bed, arms at his side as Jinyoung leans down to capture his lips.

In that moment, Mark and Jinyoung forget again their suspicions.

It all comes to a head a few months later. Everything has been progressing like normal, busy schedules full of interviews and ceremonies and performances and practicing and recording and learning and so forth. The only difference is that the rest of GOT7 haven’t been asking any wedding questions. When Mark had asked, Jackson had replied that everything was done, and they were just biding their time until they were given the all-clear to set the wedding date.

GOT7 have the the two days before Mark and Jinyoung’s seventh anniversary off. Actually, they have their actual anniversary off as well. It seems to be a stroke of luck that the two have tomorrow off, so they’re going to make the most of if. The night before their mini break, though, Jaebum calls a band meeting. When Mark and Jinyoung make their way downstairs, they’re greeted with the rest of GOT7 grinning--no, _beaming_ \--at them from their spots on the sofa. That same suspicion that he and Jinyoung had several months earlier comes back like a tsunami.

“What’s going on?” Jinyoung asks warily.

“Have a seat.” Jackson’s smiles is literally the width of his face, and Mark almost wants to smack it off his face, he’s so suspicious.

Hesitantly, the two of them settle themselves on the floor, a coffee table between them and rest of the group. “Okay, we sat down, now can you tell us what’s going on?” Jinyoung asks again, clearly as on edge as Mark is.

Grinning growing wider (even Jaebum is grinning ear-to-ear, which is very frightening), Jackson pulls out an envelope, puts on the table, and slides it across to them like he’s doing a sketchy business deal. “Happy anniversary.”

Mark is confused. “Why are you giving us an anniversary gift?” He asks as Jinyoung opens the envelope carefully, as if he’s defusing a bomb.

Then he gasps, drawing Mark’s attention. “Mark, look.”

Leaning closer, Mark takes in the words on the fancy piece of white cardstock.

_You are cordially invited to the wedding of_

_Mark Tuan and Jinyoung Park on_

_Friday, September 13, 2019_

“Wha... what is this?” Mark can’t breathe. He knows full well what’s going on, his mind’s put everything together, but his heart refuses to believe it.

“Can’t you tell? It’s your wedding invitation,” Yugyeom replies, in an _are you an idiot?_ tone.

“I kno-but-it’s-th-the year’s wrong,” the usually-so-eloquent-and-sassy Jinyoung stammers.

“No, it’s right,” Youngjae corrects.

“We’re getting married in _three_ days?” Mark clarifies.

“Yup,” Jackson nods happily. “ _On_ your anniversary, which is the date you wanted. You have the next week off to go on your honeymoon while we hold down the fort. Everything’s been handled, the only thing you’ve got to do is pick both of your best men and groomsmen and write your vows, and voila! Wedding planning done.”

“We told you guys we could wait,” Mark says, so elated and so thrown all at once.

Finally, Jaebum speaks up. You’ve had to sacrifice a lot because of us,” he says. “You hid your relationship from us--well, them,” He gestures to the rest of GOT7, who whine, “because you thought it would hurt the group dynamic in the beginning. You hid your relationship from the ahgases because you thought it would jeopardize the group’s success. Then, you wanted to put back your wedding because you thought it would stop the group’s growth. Don’t you get tired to being selfless and putting us first? And don’t you dare say ‘no’ right now.”

“That’s why I asked to be your wedding planner,” BamBam says. “I wanted to plan everything and make you guys have the wedding much, _much_ earlier. It’s not fair for you to put the wedding off when you put every other aspect of your relationship off. Even the management agreed.”

“That’s why you asked so many wedding questions,” Jinyoung states, at last putting all the pieces together. He turns to Mark, giving him a sharp smack to his shoulder. “I _told_ you they were up to something.”

He just shrugs. “I don’t mind. At least it’s for something good this time.” (He chooses to ignore Jackson’s betrayed shriek of “this time?”)

“So... are you okay with this?” Youngjae asks, bringing their attention back to them. “If not... we booked a tentative date for the same day next year, if you want more time--”

“No,” Jinyoung cuts the otter boy off, “I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to get married in three days.”

“Well, that’s all fine and dandy, but your fiancé needs to approve too,” Yugyeom teases. “Takes two to tango and all that.”

Jinyoung’s eyebrow is twitching, and Mark knows that he’s about twelve seconds away from actually killing the maknae, so he speaks up quickly, “I want to get married in three days.”

“Alright, so it’s settled!” Jaebum grins widely (Mark still can’t get over how creepy it looks) and he stands up. “I’m going to go cancel the tentative appointments.”

It’s settled.

They’re getting married in three days.

 

The day comes far too quickly.

To be fair, they _did_ find out about the wedding only three days ago, but they had spent the last few days writing their vows and enjoying their bachelors’ party (which really was just them drinking in the dorms with all of their siblings and friends, but it was a fun evening nevertheless) so it did seem like no time had passed between Jinyoung and Mark deciding to get married and the wedding itself.

Mark is standing in a small room off to the side, nervously playing with his cufflinks, his tie, anything he can to help get rid of the nerves.

“Dude, stop pacing, I’m getting a headache,” Jackson complains from his position, lounging in an armchair with a casualness that is almost entirely inappropriate for the tuxedo he’s wearing.

Beside him, BamBam, who’s perched much more nicely on the arm of the chair, smack him over the head, knocking the snapback off his head. “I’d like to see you freak out at your _own_ wedding, if you ever find someone nice enough to marry you,” he retorts. “And fix your hair, I don’t think I want to see you wearing a snapback in the wedding pictures.”

“Yah, I’m your hyung!” Jackson snaps. “Besides, it’s not _your_ wedding!” Nevertheless, he gets up and fixes his hair into something more appropriate for the wedding.

Beside him, a decent distance from the bickering duo, Mark’s brother watches, a look of bemusement and apprehension on his face. It’s enough to make Mark stop pacing and fidgeting, and clap his brother’s shoulder, and whisper, “They’re usually not that bad.”

His brother doesn’t seem all that reassured.

Mark, on the other hand, is starting to feel excited. He’s getting _married_. To the love of his life. There’s absolutely nothing stopping them from getting married. Even if an earthquake were to rip through South Korea, the day would still be theirs. The love is so tangible today of all days, and it isn’t just romantic love. It’s the love both Jinyoung and Mark’s families have for them, coming out to support their marriage, it’s the love the other members of GOT7 have for them, planning all of this for them, it’s the love JYP Entertainment have for them, shielding them from unfair repercussions of pure love and allowing them to be themselves.

Today is a day of love.

The door opens, and Mark’s father pokes his head in. “Everything’s all set, we’re just waiting on you and Jinyoung,” he tells them. Then he looks his oldest son straight in the eyes, and smiles widely. “You ready, son?”

He grins back.

 

With all the preparation GOT7 put into this wedding, it’s kind of a shame that Mark can’t really remember it. He knows that his brother, Jackson and BamBam were his groomsmen, and Jaebum, Youngjae and Yugyeom were Jinyoung’s, but he doesn’t remember ever seeing them throughout the whole ceremony. It’s all a blur, a mess of words from the officiator and some words that Mark and Jinyoung say. He barely even remembers his vows, even though he spent most of the past three days agonizing over what to say and how to say it.

 _Jinyoung_ . Jinyoung was the only point of clarity in the entire day. The beautiful expression on his face will forever be imprinted in his brain: The joy gleaming in his eyes--along with some tears--the curve of his lips into a gentle but happy smile, the faint blush across his cheeks, _everything_. He wants to commit Jinyoung’s face into his memory every second of his life, and he doesn’t ever want there to be a moment where he doesn’t have him in his life. He barely even remembers what he did before he was eleven, before he met Jinyoung for the first time, before everything finally clicked into place.

He _does_ hear the officiator announce them husbands, simply because he really just wants to kiss his husband, and he eagerly swoops in to kiss Jinyoung, a sweet peck that ends fairly quickly (he doesn’t need his parents to see anything more than that have to.) He finally takes in the crowd of people celebrating with them. He sees people in hanboks sitting next people in contemporary suits and dresses, and he just feels warm. This is his family, an amalgamation of cultures and people who form his support group.

“Are you ready for this, husband?” Mark turns at Jinyoung’s teasing voice, and he can’t help but sneak another kiss, just because he can.

“Ready as always,” he replies.

The two walk down the aisle and into the night, beginning a new chapter of their lives under the twinkling stars who have guided them this far, and will continue to guide them for the rest of their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> Here are the translations for anyone who's interested in exact translations:
> 
> 제 이름은 진영/마크 입니다: My name is Jinyoung/Mark.
> 
> 잘 잤어?: Sleep well?
> 
> 안녕, 진영: Hi, Jinyoung
> 
> 나는 게이야: I'm gay/I'm a homosexual. (This is the only phrase I google translated, the rest came from a website with Korean phrases)
> 
> 즐거운 성탄절 보내시고 새해 복 많이 받으세요: Christmas/New Year's greetings (not sure exactly WHAT it means, but I'm assuming something about good health and a happy life)
> 
> 아, 죄송합니다: Ah, sorry
> 
> 오랜만이다: Long time no see
> 
> 사랑해: I love you


End file.
